Seam-welding apparatus.



H '3. DAVIS. SEA'M WELDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED Amao. 191.3.

Patented July 17, 191-7.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

1N VENTOR. ffelzahuozz GiDawls:

WITNESSES: [a

4 Q J W A TTORNE Y WITNESSES:

' H. G. DAVIS.

'SEAM WELDING APPARATUS.

APPLI CATION FILEDYAPR. 30, I913.

Patented July 17, 1917 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.;

IN V EN TOR. v

Header-aw: Gifigyj ATTORNEY tint ng I v To all whom-it my concern":

HENDERSON G. DAVIS, OF' CONSHOHQCKEN. PENNSYLVANIA. ASSIGNOR TO GILBERT & BARKER MANUFACTURING COMFANY, OF WEST SPRINGFIELD. IVIASSACHUSETTSQA CORPORATION 02 massaonnssm'rs.

seam-WELDING .aPPAnATUs.

menia Be it known that L-Hn nraisox G. DA.VIS, a citizen of the Unit. lStes of America, residingat" Conshohoc v p Montgomery and State' 'of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful improve ments in Seam-Vielding Apparatus, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a seam-welding apparatus, and is particularly designed for autogenous welding, ,Autogenous welding is coniing into quite extensive use in the .manufacturingarts, especially in connection with the city-acetylene"flame. 1t 'has been heretofore customary toperforni auto'genous welding operations with other -gases than oXy-acetylene, l but the oxyacetylene flame has been foundto be soinuch more eilieient than any other practical oon'ihination of gases that it has vgiven a considerable pulse to the use of the autogenons weld ng process. The invention, herew th, is de signed particularly for use with the oxyacetylene fla'me, but it'can bensed withotlier forms of heat-producing means.

- In welding a'seam \viththe oily-acetylene v flame the two edges which are to he seamed together cannot be held during the welding process and give'good results with the edges abutting, for the heat necessary to the process causes a considerable expansion of the metal which. is welded, whicln-if, theedges are kept close together would cause overlapping, and these overlapping edges would prevent a proper seaming Opfil'tltlfill. Where I p oined in autogenous welding operable to the edges overlap it is impossible for the heat to beeven-ly transmitted to the metal to b e welded. Tltls causes a weak seam which is one of the most diflicult things to avoid in autogenou's welding. 1

In the present practice, great difiiculty isfound in keeping the edges of the part to be scanned a proper distanceapart and it takes an operator of considerable skilltp properly do the work. There is" also a great a lnount of laloor required inhandhng the partsto'bemelded, and this labor is-usually and necessarily, under the present practice,

done by the skilled laborer. This labor is due to thenecessary handling o:l:' the parts tobe welded particularly in welding metal kenj in the county of H tank'sf,- WlllCll ill'Q large and cumhersome and of considerable weight. The skilled operatoifneeds to adjustthe tank to be welded himself in order to have it properly adjusted and then must handle the flame giving the required welding heat. together with the tank, and if the parts have not been properly adjusted and the flame is not properly handled ii very poor' operation will result, frequently injuring the tank, to be welded. fThis invention has for one of its objects, among other things, to provide convenient holding means or devicesfor properly sup 7 porting and holding the parts to be joined in welding position. Another object of the invention is to provide such holding means together with mechanism for properly distancing the edges to be oined ,with relation to one another so that the application of the welding. heat will cause the edges as they are; welded to expand and come together-inproperly abutting relation, whereby a flat and not an overlapping seain will be formed.

.A iturther object of the invention is to'pro- SE18 a holding. means for the partsto he welded together with distancing devices or mecl'ianism for the edges to he j oined, allarranged in duplicate so that the skilled operatormay be occupied in those operations that require skill and not occupied in merely handling and adjustingthe apparatus, for the latter, by the use of this invention, may be done with ordimi'ry' labor. A further object of the invention is to provide a supporting and-holding means for parts to be frictionally hold the edges to be joined in approximate position for welding, together with a device for positively holding the edges apart arranged to travel between the edges during the welding operations. A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the classilescribed which may be adjusted for handling different sizedparts and particularly for handling dili'erent sized tanks in which. it'is desired to weld the necessary seains by the methods described. A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the class described ha.'ing a structure and arrangement which will support the parts to be Welded and allow the edges in the welding operation to he comparatively free of heat-conducting members so that the heat, when applied to the edges to be heated, will be evenly distributed. A further object of the invention is to rovide an apparatus of the class described having an operable distancing means, together with means for moving said distancing means between the edges to be welded at approximately the same speed as the welding flame is to travel in the welding operation, thus holding the edges apart at a proper distance in advance of the flame so that the heat given out by the flame will cause the edges to expand into a properly welded seam. Another object of the invention isto provide an apparatus of the class described which will support the parts to be Welded and aft r such parts are properly placed on the apparatus the latter will operate to adjust the parts before the welding operations, in an automatic manner. A further nbject of the invention is to provide a generally etlicient construction, operable and arranged in the manner described.

\Vith these objects in view, the apparatus, in the embodiment chosen for the purposes of illustration, comprises a traveling supportin stand which may be connected to a suite. le operating power. This stand is'provided with a vertical supporting central post on which radial supporting arms are rotatably mounted. Each of these arms is provided with means for supporting a cylindrical tank in position for welding the longitudinal seam in making the tank. This supporting means comprises the main supporting arm having surfaces approximately concentric with a given range of tanks, together with supporting members adjustabl mounted to properly support a heavy tan in position for its seam'forming edges to be distanced apart and movably-mounted members arranged to bear on the top surface of the tank and frictionally hold the margins of the tank against the concentric surfaces mentioned in order to hold the edges of the tank approximatelyin position to be welded. There is also provided on each supporting arm a fe d-screw on which is mounted, for travel be;wcen the ed es of the tank, a dis taming-device o crab e to travel at the same speed as require for the travel of the flame in the seam-forming operation. This distancing device is arranged to travel in advance of the welding flame in order not ,to be atfectcd by the heat of the latter and separates the edges of the tank to be Welded. The separation of the edges at the distancing device is relatively large, but the edges thus separated converge toward the welding flame and are there separated a proper amount so that the edges as they expand from the heat of the Flame just meet as they are welded land cause a perfectly fiat seam.

whici the apparatus is designed to bemounted, together with a shaft adapted to be connected to a driving-pulley and having a clutch-'member arranged to be con- 'nccted with a corresponding clntch-meinber on the apparatus;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the apparatus showing one supporting arm in section to illustrate the mechanism connected therewith; I

Fi 5 is a detail view showing a hand clutc mechanism and the method of operating the gear on the driving-shaft to con nect and disconnect the gear of the feedscrew carried by each arm;

Fig. 6 is a side detail view showing the traveling distancing-device; and

Fig. 7 is a front detail view of the part. shown in Fig. 6.

Referring to Fig. -1,-the apparatus comprises a stand having four legs (Z (seen in Fig. 1) on the end of which are wheels adapted to ride on the track a. In the central part of the apparatus a vertical snpporting post e is mounted. A table or turret member g is rotatably mounted on the upper part of this supporting post and has a depending portion g (see Fig. 4) which has a suitable ball bearing connection with the part c. As shown, this table or turretmember 9 has four supi'worting arms 7:. ex-

tending therefrom. The inner ends of these arms it have a depending portion provided with a roll at the end thereof adapted to hear on the horizontal circular plate f. The upper ends of these prms h are fas tenedsecurely to the under side of the rotatably-mounted tableg. When a heavy weight is supported on the arms h, an excessivestrain is prevented on the bearings of the table g'by means of the circular plate f attached to the vertical post 6 and the rolls on the ends of arms h which bear against the outer periphery of this plate in order to compensate for the'thrust due to the heavy weight .on the arms at a distance from their supporting means.

Fig. 2, and they have on the top two radial surfaces whichare approximately concentric to a iven' range of tanks which may be handled g y'the apparatus. Thereis-{an open radial recess infeach arm h in which is mounted the radial feed-rod j which may be turned by hand through the operatingwvheel 0 at the outer end thereof or by power through a. connection with the gear 7 mount ed on thenpper end of the main drive-shaft l of the apparatus. On this feed-rod j a traveling distancing-device c is adapted to the edges ofjthe tanks to be welded are adapted to fit. On the distancing-device v two threaded depending clamping-members z are pivoted and connected by a spring as shown in Fig. 7. Each of these members .2 is provided with threads to cooperate with the threads in the feed screw j, and a vertical hdjusting-rod'y is mounted in the 'distaming-device v, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. At the bottom of this rod 3 is a small chm (shown dotted in Figs. 6 and 7). When the rod 3 is turned one'hundred and eighty degrees from the position shown in Fig. 6, as indicated in dot-ted lines in Fig. 7, the cam operates to force the two pivoted members 5 against the action of their spring and thus bring the threads of these members 2 out of engagement with the threads of the rod ilhen this has been done, it will be seen that the distancing-deviceM0 may he slid to anydesired point along the arm h by means of thoslida. therein (see Fig.

M ountd above the concentric surfaces of the arm It are adjustable gripping-members '1', one for each concentric surface and with a concentric surface corresponding thereto. Those gripping-memhers 17 are adapted to be held in place by means of the bolts I and t, operable by'hand, as indicated in Figs. 1 and .The bolts '15 pass freely through bosses on the members and on the arm h, and at the lower end a headed part is formedadapted to slide in an open-ended slot as indicated in F igs. 1 and l. .Each bolt t forms a pivot for its member-'2' and by turning: the heads of the bolts 2? and t, the parts 71 and will frictionally' hold tank A. The inner ends of the niembers i are formed with forks which loosely engage rods l: vertically mounted .iil g, ope for each gripping-member, as indicated 11 Figs. 1 and 4. A strong spring mounted be tween thenpper end of therod k. aud t-he uppernnit of the inner end of the device i tondsftmlor downward l'fwiu acli device has, at a Slight distance radially from the rod in, a springthe inner end of the latter.

pressed rod Z monnted in table 9 o erating to press the devicei upwardly. his arrangement 1s provided in order to balance the weight of the deviras i so that they will move horizontally without tending to bind on their pivotal connections t. p

On each arm it there are -arranged two horizontal rods 8, alongwhich a series of supporting" arms '1' are fastened. These arms are adapted to spread oilt and support the 'ieight of the tank, as indicated in Fig.1 2. At the end of each rod there is an arm u fixed thereto and having a roller at its lower end, as indicated in Fig. 2.' These rollers are adapted to coiiperate with" the. surface of the cam Q mounted on arod havmg a bearing in a bracket. arranged at the endof the arm h. The cam may be turned, and thus adjusted, by, the hand-wheel p. By turning the cam it Willbe seen from Fig. 2 that the arms u may be set to four distinct positi0ns,'and by changing the positions of the arms a the rods 8 are turned and; the supporting arms 7" are swap outwardly or inwardly, as the case may%) order to support tanks of different sizes.

' The main driving-shaft 1 of the apparatus is indicated in Fig. '4 and is arranged vertically, with the bevel-gear 7 at the top thereof arranged to mesh with any one of the bevel'gears 25, one at the inner end of" each rod This driving shaft 1 has a bevel gear connection at its lower end with the small stud shaft, best seen in Fig. 4. At the opposite end of this-stud shaft is a clutch member 2, keyed to the'stud shaft and 0p erable by the foot treadles 3 and 4, pivoted on one of the legs 03 of the apparatus. At

its upper end the driving shaft 1. carries a gear 7 which may be controlled through the,

intermediary of clutch m and lever 29, to

rotatethc bevel gear 25 whenever desired.

It is by this means that the shaft 5 for the.

arm of the welding apparatus which carrics the work to be welded 1s driven. Be-

cause of the link connections between the 1 clutch-member 2 and the foot-treadles 3 and 4:, it is clear that if the foot-tradlefi is pressed downwardly the clutch-member 2 will be thrown to thought (see Fig. 4) and operation will cause the clutch-member 2 to pressed downwardly will disconnect the.

clutchqnember 2 from shaft 71.

The apparatus, as a whole, travels on thetracks a. The shaft 6 1S} arranged with a the treadle 4. will be moved upwardly. This engage with the clutch- Idembcr on the end r clutch-member at eachendthercofan d the driving-pulley at the middle. By this arrangement two distinct apparatus may be mounted on tracks a and each connected to -cated in Fig.

sh'ai't 7) to receive power therefrom. The apparatus is wheeled up to the desired position and the wheels on the ends of the legs (I will come to a stop against the lugs 2 fastened to the tracks 0.. This will automatically square the apparatus up so that a proper connection may be made, by means of the clutch 2, to the driving-shaft I). As before stated, this connection is made by pressing the toot-treadle 3 downwardly and is disconnected by pressing the foot-treadle' 4 downwardly. A bell-crank locking lever 29 (see Fig. 'l') is pivoted to one of the legs 17 and its inner end is connected to lever 3. \Vhen the latter is depressed, the outer end of. lever 29 is hooked over the stop 2 to lock the apparatus in place. \Vith the apparatus in place, the operation is as follows:

A cylindrical tank A, consisting of a shell previously rolled into cylindrical form from a rectangular blank is brought up over the supportingarms r in the manner indicated in Fig. 2. and the two free edges of the tank to bev joined are brought up over the concentric surface of the particular arm h desired. The distancing-device c is positioned on the teed-screw j at a proper distance from the inner end of the tank and the edges of the latter are brought to abutting position in the horizontal slots '28 of the distancing-device (see Fig. 7). The outer edges of the tank are brought up over the concentric surface of the arm II, as far as possible and the devices -17 are swung thereover and the bolts 1 and t are operated to force the members i to frictionally hold the margins of the tank A in the manner indi \Vith the parts thus positioned, the gear 7 at the upper end of the driving-shaft l is brought into mesh with the gear 25 of the fetal-screw corresponding to the arm on which the tank has been placed. This is done by swinging the arm it around .to the left-hand radial position seen in Fig. 4, and then by shifting the gear 7 upwardly by means of the hand-lever 29 and the collar attached to gear 7. This hand-lever 2!) has :1 depending arm (shown dotted in Fig. 5) with two teeth on the end thereof with which a spring-pressed rod is adapted to cooperate. 'It will be seen from Fig. 5 that when the lever 29 is pressed downward, the gear '7 will be locked in the upper position and when the lever 29 is pulled upwardly the gear 7 will be locked in the lower position. A bracket (5 provides a bearing for the upper end of the driving-shaft l. \Vhen this connection has been made with the feed-screw j, the distancing-device '0 starts to travel outwardly on the feed-screw j, and as this distancingdevice travels outwardly the torch supplying the welding flame is moved along bebind the distaiu'ing-device either by hand or automatically by suitable mechanism. It

will be seen that the device r will positively hold the edges of the tank A a given distance apart, and although this distance is relatively great, the edges of the tank, since they abut the converging slots 28, will converge toward the welding flame. The proper position of the distancing device in advance of the welding flame is such that the converging edges of the tank at the point of application of the welding flame are near enough for the welding to take place. The desired criterion is that the edges shall just meet as they expand under the heat of the flame so that a flat as against an overlapping seam is formed: The welding flame is so moved that it follows the distancing-device at approximately the same speed and the two thus move in constantly spaced relation. It should be noted that the tank when supported as described with the edges in converging relation is distorted from its normal cylindrical form into a strained frusto conical shape and that there is a continual tendency for the tank to assume its natural cylindrical form. The members 2' trictionally hold the edges and in order for the latter to coinetogether as the distancing device '0 travels outwardly, the edges of the tank must move relatively to the members i. The natural tendency of the distorted tank to resume its normal shape may not be enough to overcome the grip of members but the latter cannotprevent the contraction of the shell as it cools after the welding operation. The contraction of the shell as the joined edges cool in back of the welding flame cause the tank to be drawn into true cylindrical form, and this contraction supplies the force necessary to draw the edges of the tank together as the distancing device recodes, so that, as the welding flame travels along, the edges of the tank just meet in under the flame and are welded-in a fiat butt seam.

The welding flame may be. moved along by hand as described, but the apparatus may also be used with suitable automatic mechanism which will move the welding flame at the proper speed and in properly spaced relation with the distancing device a. An example of a suitable mechanism for accomplishing this function is disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 319,668, filed February 19, 191%. to which reference is made. By making these two 0 ierations aritoniatic, the desired work will e done with the least amount of skill possible, for everything will be automatic in that case except installing and removing the tanks A from the holding devices on the arms k. 1

\Vhen a seam has been formed, it'i's necessary to take the tank A. oil from the arni '71. in a radial direction, although the tank be fore it has been welded may be brought around the supporting arms r from the side.'. 130

Lsssm In order to remove the tank A, it is necessary to swing the members 1' ontheir pivotal connections t, and for this purpose the bolts t and 't" are loosened and the bolts 5 may swing outwardly through slots m vided in the bosses in the end of the arm h,

as before'described. ltwill be understood that these (lBYlCES i will swing or spread apart from one another to an extent snilillfl cient to, clear the'bolts i, so that the tank A;

After one tank has been finished the tank assembled on another arm in may'be'swung" into place sovthat the feed-screw of that arm h will he drii en by means of the gear 1 7 and-the welding operations started with the use of the apparatus described, the welding operations are, in effect, continuous and the man handlingthe apparatus does his work with the least amount of delay' and.

output is small andthe quality of the Work is not uniform, even with skilled labor.

While applicant has described the specific form of his apparatus which he prefers to use, it is to be understood that this preferred form has been shown and-described speeifically only for thegpurposes of illustration and it is not intended to limit the invention,

40 broadly, to the preferred form shown, for it may be applied in manyother specific forms.

What I claim is, 4

1. A welding apparatus, comprising, in

combination; a supporting member adapted to fit within and support a cylindrical shell to be welded, a distancingdevice arranged tov travel in said member and at a predetermined distance in advance of the welding flame, and means frictionally holding each edge of the shell to said member with-the seam to be welded therebetween, said device constructed to so hold the edges that they" converge toward the point of application of the welding flame and so that the expanding edges just meet in under the flame as they are welded, whereby overlapping of the edges is prevented.

2. A welding apparatus, comprising, in cmnliinat-ion, a supporting member adapted to receive a cylindrical shell to be welded, a wedge-shaped distancing device movable in said member and adapted to travel between and separate theedges of the shellto be welded, said device--arranged to travel in. advance of the welding dame, and means to the least loss of time possible. Thus, by hcldgapart in the immediate vicin ty of the frietionally hold the shell to said nember, whereby the edges of the shell maybe held in abutting relation withsaid de'yice, so tl at they converge toward the welding flame, all constructed and arranged so that the edges in the vicinity of theffiame areso separated that, as they expand"n'ndervthe heatof the flame, they some togetherin abuttingj relation and are weldedina an. seam with out overlapping] '75 3,' A "welding apparatus scribed, comprising comb nation, a frame having thereon pliir'ahty of holding means eaclrconstructed and; arranged to frictionally hold the edgesare cylindricalshell in 8i) approximate position for welding,- together i with a device for each meansarranged to 00 cnpy'a position at a desiredpointbetween saicledges' and present the edges overlap? plug in the 'weldingdgtemtioi and means s me movably mounting each of saiddevices all p p constructed and arran ed so that the e of the shell to'beiwel ed inay'bepositive y 'metal in the welding'operatiop to come to-,

gether in abutting'relation jto. foirn a fiat seam" without overlapping' and :provide an v apparatus in which shells to lie-welded may be assembled and held in position while other parts' previonsly assembled arebeing' f welded. i H v {I 4. A weldingapparatus, comprising, in v combination, a supporting member adaptedl to receive a cylindrical, shell, the'edge s-of 1 which are to bev welded, awe'rlge shaped di's-' tancing device arranged to travel in said member and adapted tomove a'eonstantand f predetermined distance in advance of the L weldingflame, said device arranged to move-Q between said edges and hold "the latterin convergingrelation toward the welding v flame, and means to frictionallj holdthe shell to said member all constructed and" arranged so that the cdg'esas they expand in under the dame, will 'iusfimeet and be n-v of parts-in 51].)i7ruXlIfiflli6 position for welding, 12a}.

together with a device arranged to occupy'a' position between said edges and prevent them trom overlapl'iing in the welding operation, all for the purpose described.

6. A welding apparatus of the class described, comprising in combination, a sup porting stand, a plurality of radial wor supporting arms nnwablfi mounted on stand. each arm having a port with tw'olior zontal supporting upper surfaces'approii surfaces with the edges to be .inately concentric with tanks to be welded and two horizontally movable members arranged to cooperate with said part and hold a tank to be welded with the edges distanced apart, a movable device arranged to travel between the edges of a tank supported on said arm and positively distance the edges of the tank for the welding operation, together with means for feeding said device along between the edges during the welding operations, all for the purpose described.

7. A welding apparatus, comprising, in combination, a supporting stand, a plurality of radial work-supporting arms movably mounted on the stand and extending outwardly therefrom, each arm formed with two spaced horizontal surfaces to supporta cylindrical shell with the edges to be welded therebetween, two spaced members mounted on each arm movable away from said surfaces to permit a shell to be freely 'placed thereon and thereafter movable toward said surfaces to engage the shell, and means to force said members downwardly to frictionally hold the shell to said welded positloned between said members and surfaces and freely exposed for welding.

-8. A welding apparatus, comprising, in

combination, a supporting stand, a plural-- ity of radial work supporting arms m0vably mounted on the stand, each arm having a part with two horizontal surfaces to support cylindrical shells to be welded, two pivoted; members arranged to be swung away from said surfaces to permit a shell to be placed thereon and thereafter to be swung toward the surfaces to overlie the shell thereon antl means to force said members downwardly against the supporting surfacesto-frictionally hold the edges of the tank thereto.

9. A welding apparatus, comprising, in combination, a central supporting stand, a head rotatable thereon, afpluralitfy of radial \vmk-supporting arms extending outwardly from said head. each arm having a part with two horizontal surfaces to supportcvlindrical shells to be welded. two members pivoted to each arm. means to bind said members to said surfaces with the edges of the tank to be welded frictionally held therebetween, said means arranged to permit said members to be swung" away from said surfaces. whereby a shell may be conveniently placed on said surfaces, and a plurality of adjustable supporting members on either side of each arm arranged to engage the. shell to be welded at a distance from said members.

10. A welding apparatus, comprising, a central support, a head rotatable thereon, a plurality of radial work supporting arms extending outwardly from said head, each formed with two spaced horizontal supporting surfaces approximately concentri with the cylindrical shells to be welded, mcmla-rs also formed with surfaces approximately concentric with the tanks to be welded and arranged to overlie said first-named surfaces, means operative to force said members to the arm with the edges of the tank to be welded held frictionally therebetwecn in position for welding the longitudinal seam thereof, said means arranged to permit said members to be moved away from said arms.

whereby the latter are freely exposed to permit a shell to be moved axially along the' arms, a plurality of auxiliary supporting arms arranged on either side of each arm and adapted to engage the inner periphery of the shells to be welded at a distance from said members, and means operable to move said auxiliar) arms simnlta neonsly to permit adjustment of the latter for supporting shells of various diameters.

HENDERSON G. DAVIS. lVitnesses A. B. Fnosr, F. G., Nninl. 

